The Governor and Jim Tile are at it again! This time Hiaasen takes on pop music and real estate developers. If you haven't read any of the books in this series I strongly recommend starting at the beginning. It will be difficult to fully understand many of the character and plot twists if you do not have the history of these two characters.
Hiaasen generally writes amusing and slightly outrageous tales set in Florida. That's true of this book as well. The governor's antics are somewhat predictable, but still amusing. This is a good book for relief from high-stress weeks. It will offer diversion and a few chuckles. I've added "ecology" as a tag because of the Governor's choice of "residence" and his mission.
This is definitely an adult book. I don't think I would probably mention it in schools. (Does that make it a guilty pleasure for me?)
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Crater, by Homer Hickam (2012)
My son is considering astro-physics as a career path. When I came across this title I knew immediately that I needed to read it. Hickam is most known for his book Rocket Boys that was used as the base for the film October Skies. Rockets, spaceships, and outerspace are not my first choice of settings in fiction. However, Hickam has captured my imagination. His possible world, mining for inexpensive energy on the Earth's moon, is believable and in the opinion of many scientists, likely. His background as the son of a miner and as a NASA engineer makes the underlying science trustworthy. I'll admit--the science is way beyond my knowledge level, but I'll trust Hickam to know what he's talking about.
This appears to be a promising series that will appeal to both boys and girls. There is a love interest, strong family/community themes, and the adventures that the main character, Crater Trueblood survives. I am actually looking forward to the next book. As someone with more interest in biology and ecology Hickam conveyed the geology and energy science topics in an interesting and understandable fashion. He even discussed the main object of the mining on the moon, helium-3, in a way that got me interested in this isotope.
I recommend this book strongly to teachers as a good choice for a book club selection or even a whole-class reading. If English language arts and science teachers are collaborating this is a great choice for physics and energy related units.
This appears to be a promising series that will appeal to both boys and girls. There is a love interest, strong family/community themes, and the adventures that the main character, Crater Trueblood survives. I am actually looking forward to the next book. As someone with more interest in biology and ecology Hickam conveyed the geology and energy science topics in an interesting and understandable fashion. He even discussed the main object of the mining on the moon, helium-3, in a way that got me interested in this isotope.
I recommend this book strongly to teachers as a good choice for a book club selection or even a whole-class reading. If English language arts and science teachers are collaborating this is a great choice for physics and energy related units.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Amped, by Daniel H. Wilson (2012)
I've just become a Daniel Wilson fan! This is a great read and addresses several important technology/bioethics issues. Wilson has Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon. I assume that the science is pretty sound. The story, of humans with neuro-implants that amplify their abilities (the Amps) has many interesting routes that readers can follow. There is of course, the bioethics that are the focus of the story. This is done well and will help us see a bit into the future. I don't think we can quite "amp" humans the way Wilson portrays, but I expect it will be possible in the future.
A second theme relates to genocide/discrimination. I can easily see this as a companion piece to any holocaust unit or study of other genocides. (Those of you who know me are aware that I'm weary of the Anne Frank units that I read each semester. I think it's time to expand our explorations of genocides and discrimination.
The secondary character, Lyle, is also a good study in the effects of power on a human. Between Lyle and Senator Joseph Vaughn the exploration of what power does to our politicians and CEOs could lead to some fascinating discussions. This theme in the book can also easily fit into studies of extremist groups and terrorism. The government reactions to amps is well done and makes for a nice platform for exploring our current concerns about the Patriot Act and digital surveillance.
Of course the science elements of this book could fit nicely in any study of scientific trends and issues.
Also, there may soon be a film connection to his other book Robopocalypse. Robopocalypse was purchased by DreamWorks and is currently being adapted for film by Steven Spielberg.
A second theme relates to genocide/discrimination. I can easily see this as a companion piece to any holocaust unit or study of other genocides. (Those of you who know me are aware that I'm weary of the Anne Frank units that I read each semester. I think it's time to expand our explorations of genocides and discrimination.
The secondary character, Lyle, is also a good study in the effects of power on a human. Between Lyle and Senator Joseph Vaughn the exploration of what power does to our politicians and CEOs could lead to some fascinating discussions. This theme in the book can also easily fit into studies of extremist groups and terrorism. The government reactions to amps is well done and makes for a nice platform for exploring our current concerns about the Patriot Act and digital surveillance.
Of course the science elements of this book could fit nicely in any study of scientific trends and issues.
Also, there may soon be a film connection to his other book Robopocalypse. Robopocalypse was purchased by DreamWorks and is currently being adapted for film by Steven Spielberg.
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